Sunshine Coast Personal Trainers Win Caloundra Chamber of Commerce Award

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Sculptlife Personal Training on the Sunshine Coast was nominated and selected as a finalist for the New Business of the Year Award in the 2010 Caloundra Chamber of Commerce Awards.

The judges received over 180 nominations for a wide variety of businesses within the Caloundra . From these 180 nominations a total of 80 finalists selected, each of the finalists were assessed and interviewed by a high profile panel of judges in the weeks leading up to the awards.

On August 27th, the night of the Awards, Sculptlife was announced as the winner of the New Business of the Year category.

Sascha Aiono, Lead Trainer at Sculptlife Personal Training attended the Awards Night on behalf of Sculptlife . “I had a 5.30am start at work that day, so it was a long day but still fun night out. Admittedly I had to have three cans of Coke to stay awake past the main course but it was great to be there !”

Bianca Aiono, owner of Sculptlife unfortunately was unable to attend the Awards but couldn’t be happier with the result. “It was exciting enough in itself for Sculptlife to be nominated and selected as a finalist, but then actually winning the award was fantastic! We’re looking forward to many more successful years helping Sunshine Coast residents achieve their ideal, healthy bodies.”

The Crossroads…which road will you take?

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Anything worth doing in life will take a bit of hard work and discipline – and I’m sure all you  will agree that shaping your ideal fit figure is definitely worth it!
Unfortunately this also means that the hard work and discipline will apply! This also means there will always be time where you come to what we at Sculptlife call ‘The Crossroads’: where the two paths of your old and new lifestyle meet.

For example; your old lifestyle might have involved you and your friends meeting every few weeks to catch up, have a few drinks with cheese, dips and nibbles. You  know that ‘ a few drinks’ never literally means ‘a few’. You end up having many drinks, lots of cheese and dips, not to mention the food you’ll consume the next day to soften the hangover.

So let’s say that while you’re en route to your ideal body and your friends arrange the monthly get-together. Of course you’ll go and you’ll feel excited to wear something that shows off your diminishing waistline and shapely arms. But what will happen when you get there and suddenly – there is an arsenal of alcohol ready to shoot holes through all your hard work?

Ladies and gentlemen, you have now arrived at The Crossroads. The Crossroads can apply to anything where you are tempted to go back to your old habits – giving in to your sweet tooth; missing your Sunshine Coast Personal Training session; skipping meals; eating carbs at dinner; not preparing your meals ahead of time and then making the wrong food choices.

You have to decide – will you stay firmly on the path of your new lifestyle habits or will you stray back to your  old lifestyle habits? And I don’t mean to imply that no one should ever fall off the bandwagon – we’re all human! We make mistakes! What I do mean is that you need to decide how committed you are to your goals.

At the end of the day, whatever you decide, your desire to obtain and maintain your ideal body never changes. You’ll always still want that.

So you need to choose – would you prefer to stick to your new lifestyle path and pass on the temptations? Or would you prefer to enjoy yourself and take the old lifestyle path knowing and accepting that you are adding extra miles to your journey?

Friends, the choice is always yours. But I can guarantee you – the new lifestyle path will always get you there faster!

So, which path will you take? :)

Yours In Health & Fitness,

Sascha Aiono

“Live the life you want, Love the Body you’re in!”

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer Releases Workout DVD's

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Hi, My name is Bianca Aiono and even though I was an elite athlete from the age of 14, I always struggled with my weight.
It was only when I discovered the SECRET of working WITH my body, instead of against it that I now have a body I can be proud of.

Do YOU want to be proud of your body ?
- Are you confused about the BEST exercises to lean down your legs ?
- Are you scared about bulking up ?
- Have you tried everything to lose that stubborn lower body fat but nothing seems to work ?
You can find out all the answers and more in the first of my dvd series “From Fat 2 Fitness Model Transformation Package”

After releasing my Fat 2 Fitness Model DVD’s a few months ago, i’ve had loads of customers telling me how great they’re feeling and how much a difference my DVD’s are making to their health and wellbeing.

“Hi Bianca, sorry it’s been a while since I last emailed you. I’ve been busy working out with your Dvds, going to the gym, personal training etc. I’ve even taken up tennis. You’ve been a great inspiration. The minute I read about you and your experience, I decided to follow suit and change my life. I’m happy to say I’ve lost 7 kilos since your DVDs and program,  I also do vibragym, eat healthy and I get the family to eat healthy too. I’ve lost lots of inches and I look forward to working out everyday. I have one or two bad days every so often but the difference now is I get back on the healthy eating and exercise plan straight away. So I thank you for helping me believe that i can do it and I also thank vibragym but you really started it all for me. You really made me believe. I hope to keep going and lose more kilos. I’ll keep you upto date. By the way, I’m getting lots of compliments from Friends and that is such a great feeling.
I thank you and best wishes,
Angela x.

Check out our Fat 2 Fitness Model Transformation Package at http://www.fat2fitnessmodel.com/

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer for Sunshine Coast Young Business Woman of The Year Awards

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Thanks to Mykie O from Strut for my hair... thanks to Rudi for those bloody quadzilla legs !

I’m very proud to have been named as a finalist for the Sunshine Coast Young Business Woman Of the Year Awards.
Thank you to Genine Howard from Profile Magazine and Melanie Jacobsen from PJT Accountants for nominating me both previous winners of the SCBWN network awards and also our valued clients ! 

Here is my blurb which I had to write for part of the publicity related to the event about my career journey. Keep an eye out for me in profile mag and the Sunshine Coast Daily.   

As an elite athlete I struggled with my weight for 10 years and tried every diet, gimmick andfat pill. When I finally discovered the secret to safe and permanent weight loss I lost 15 kilos in 12 weeks and became a Bodysculpting champion.
So I quit my dead end job and set out on a mission to transform the lives of others on a grand scale. Starting with a single client and a car boot of equipment, I discovered by accident there was a demand for mobile personal training in the beautiful Coast outdoors! 

 2 years later I have over 100 active clients – many of them local celebrities, a staff of 5 and operate a fully equipped studio in Warana.  I’ve been showcased in both local and national media including SBS insight and speak to trainers across Australia on building a successful PT business. 

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer Bianca Aiono

After SCBWN Young Business Woman Of The Year interview

My 12 week program takes Bodysculpting principles and modifies them for the everyday lifestyle.  We coach clients 1 on 1, in small groups, hold nutritional coaching challenges and recently launched Bootcamp for Women with enormous success. I’m very proud to say over the past 2 years we’ve inspired over 850 Sunshine Coast residents to lose more than 6,000 kilos 

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer, Bianca Aiono

Personal Trainers don't get a chance to dress up much, it's dressing up lorna janes pants and joggers and pretending that qualifies for "smart casual" or sssshhhh it's too late to go out dancing !

Congratulations Sarah & Darren

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Congratulations Sarah & Darren, the wedding looked amazing !!
And Congratulations Sarah you look amazing, see all the hard work has paid off !

“I just wanted to say a huge thank-you for whipping me into shape for our wedding recently.
I was only joking around with Bianca during training this week, that when I rave about my personal training, it’s not my trainer I talk about but my TRAINERS!
I have been lucky enough to train with all of the team at SculptLife PT over the last 12-18 months, and I can honestly say without each one of you I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Yes we started out getting me into shape for my big day, which we achieved! And Yes I’m the first to admit we didn’t get there without a lot of complaining, moaning and tears from me, but hey I still listened, and because of you all I honestly felt like a million bucks on my big day, I could carry myself with a smile thinking all that hard work was worth it. Although that didn’t stop me replying with the answer “that would be the work of my mean personal trainers” when I was asked what I had been doing, I look fantastic.
You guys have not just been a fitness support for me, but an emotional one too, i can’t keep up with the amounts of times one of you have sat there and listened to me offload to you about anything that maybe weighing me down, and you know what you all seem to give the right advise or at least make me laugh about it.
Well the weddings over guys as is the honeymoon! So it’s onto the next journey with my team of trainers, Bianca, Pete, Sascha and the SculptLife Team.
I can’t wait to see what the next 12 months bring!
Thanks again guys!
Sarah

What Makes An Awesome Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer ?

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I just got back from my regular Wednesday PT session with my Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer,  Rob Reed at Kawana Fitness and I wanted to give him some well deserved props !

sunshine coast personal trainer

Bianca at WFF Sports Model Competition

I have had a lot of Sunshine Coast Personal Trainers in my time, all of them very knowledgable and credible experts, but eventually we go our separate ways. This is due to for various reasons, sometimes it’s location, sometimes it’s because I’m looking for a trainer with different strengths. But more frequently that I would like, it has happened because I held myself to a high standard, and accordingly so did the trainer – but they ended up letting their own agenda take over as to what was in it for them if I achieved my goals.

I’ve had a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer who told me I couldn’t break from my diet for the next 8 weeks, so what do you think I did for the next 4 days? I ate everything I could possibly imagine ! You know, the age old adage – you don’t want something until someone tells you that you can’t have it.

Now when you are getting your fat folds measured in TENTHS of millimetres every week, these guys KNOW when you have not been following your diet. Eventually he just stopped taking my calls or replying to my texts to book in. I understand that I should have been true to my goals, but I struggle with the implementation of any exercise and diet regime just like any other regular client – why should I have been dealt with so harshly ?  

Because I have a bit of a profile in the Sunshine Coast Personal Training world, it’s easy to forget that I’m just an individual with my own personal goals, and my own personal struggles and failings. I’m not superwoman, I’m not infallible and if I tell you what I’d like to achieve – that is really truly what I would like to achieve.  I’m not trying to “test” you,  I’m not going to steal your ideas and trust me – I don’t want your clients! We have plenty of super motivated guys in our SculptLife family, and they keep our hands plenty busy !

After winning my competition for the INBA Brisbane Titles I finally got that monkey off my back – something I had been trying to achieve for the past two years. But I fell off the wagon big time , when I made the rookie mistake of not resetting my goals straight after the comp. I had literally burnt myself out, I had no more motivation and drive, I spent like 3 months of eating everything I had deprived myself of, things like toasted cheese and tomato sandwiches laden with butter – hot dogs, chocolate milk shakes. I think the morning after the competition i had a packet of mint slice biscuits for breakfast ! Oh my gosh I was sooo sick !

sunshine coast personal trainer

Samoan Sistas, Bianca & Sash

And of course you can imagine the deep deep hole I dug myself – and threw away the shovel !

So when I met Rob last November, I was the heaviest I had been in a long time and I sheepishly told him that my goals were to have an IFBB Figure girls body ( thos girls are the voluptuous, curvy muscly girls – not the skinned rabbit look ). I wanted to look good for photoshoots and be fit for Volleyball, oh yeah, and not let my neck get injured. Rob enthusiastically spouted off all the different hypertrophy and strength phases, macronutrient cycling with my diet and the various testing modalities we were going to use. He might has well have been talking latin, cos I have no concentration when it comes to that technical stuff – but it was like poetry to me – exactly what I needed !

This next bit is a little bit embarrassing … I was so happy to have a trainer ACTUALLY listen to me and what I wanted to achieve – without any other agendas I cried  !  Yep big tough Xena Warrior Princess is all for show ! But to make me feel better, Rob in all his metro-sexuality gave me a few little crocodile tears in sympathy too !

sunshine coast personal trainer

Bianca on stage

So off we started on a training adventure and here I am today after just finishing such an awesome, exhilarating and fantastic session I had to share it with you.

45kg Bench Press
120kg half squats
Body Weight Squat Jumps
Barbell Snatch
Medicine Ball Side Power Throws
Double Leg Throw Downs  
Repeat x 3

*During the 3rd set of Double Leg Throw Downs and after some very unflattering groans, I decide I’m not going to have babies. I don’t think I can handle that pain!*

Single Leg Hops Up the Stairs
20 seconds speed skipping
10 lateral bounds  Repeat X3

sunshine coast personal trainer

The hardest thing is trying to walk gracefully in those heels !

* By this time I use one of my sneaky rest taking tactics-  I normally throw in a few questions about the meaning of life – the deeper the question I ask the more lengthy a response I get. This is fantastic when you are training and in desperate need of a rest, hee hee – but if you guys use it now, I’ll know!  Rob knows I don’t really care about the mitochondria’s role in the ATP –PC cycle but he just can’t help himself to explain it . It’s like he’s possessed and has to tell me or he’ll self combust and this big long winded explanation full of technical jargon spews forth – ha ! I love it !  *

Then outside we go in the car park ( ominous music )

10 Medicine Ball Power Soccer Throws
Resisted Sprinting ( Pushing Rob in the middle of the back up the length of the carpark ! )
Race back to the start ( I sprinted so hard to beat him I’m lucky the wind didn’t change at that moment – I was making some nasty faces ! Okay, I beat you Rob, but it’s okay – you weren’t warm! )Repeat

The oxygen debt I felt in the 10 seconds after each of these activities was enough to have me semi crouched pressed up against the wall and gasping for air. Which would have looked very strange to all the passers by ! ( Thanks for the public airing Rob ! )

But I absolutely LOVED IT ! Sunshine Coast Personal Training – what a fantastic activity to include in your LIFE !

So I feel like I have achieved a milestone here that I need to stop and thank you Rob for everything you have done.

From that day in November, when I was feeling so low and out of shape, I have lost 4 kilos, 5% in body fat, I’ve increased my hamstring strength by a whopping 250% – I was recently voted MVP in one of my Volleyball games and I felt good enough about myself to enter a sports model competition.  Rob has also been able to juggle all these fitness paramaters as well as making sure my physique stays balanced – preventing my chronic neck pain from taking over !  You Bewdie !

Oh, and can I give a big shout out to Vanessa from Starshots, aka “Buffy” for giving up her day and coming down to do my makeup. I felt a million bucks – I’ve decided when I finally get around to getting married, I’ll definitely have my hair like that Ness ! Thank you!

Rob has motivated me through many periods of self doubt, has pondered the meaning of various aspects of life, we’ve had plenty of laughs, has shamed me with his flexibility ! ( man, for a 95kg body builder, you should see his side kicks – I’m going to say they are better than my Pilates instructor and ex ballerina Sue’s ! ) Rob’s made me remember to be true to myself and the goals I set for myself when I try to convince myself it’s not that important to me and I’m so thankful that the universe has crossed our paths.

So – what makes an awesome trainer ?

sunshine coast personal trainer

Rob with his son Kai

An Awesome Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer will

LISTEN TO YOU when you tell them your goals and create an action plan to get there

IGNORE YOU when you try to convince them that it’s not that important to you anymore

HOLD YOU ACCOUNTABLE to your goals and the time line and keep you honest to yourself

ADAPT your program as you improve and refine your goals

TELL IT TO YOU STRAIGHT – hey, there’s no point in lying, if you’re not following your diet, you’re not going to lose the weight ! There is no TRY only DO!

And when all else fails an Awesome Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer will TELL YOU TO SHUT UP AND GET UP !
( Well, Rob hasn’t had to use that one on me yet, but it would definitely stop question time ! ) 

Thanks Rob – you’re awesome !

So what do YOU want in a trainer – what do you thinks makes an awesome Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer?
Make sure you leave a comment below - we always love to hear what you think !

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainers Favourite Winter Warmers!

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Baked Moroccan Chicken and Rice

 Cooking Time
35 Minutes
Serves 4

  • 1/4 cup apricot jam
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons Moroccan seasoning
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon olive oilsunshine coast personal training recipes
  • 500g skin free chicken breast fillets, cut into 3cm pieces
  • 2 cups basmati rice, rinsed
  • 1 brown onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large tomato, roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas
  • 2 1/4 cups salt-reduced chicken stock
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • steamed green beans, to serve

 Method

- Preheat oven to 220°C. Combine jam, seasoning, garlic and oil in a bowl. Add chicken and stir to coat. Season with salt.
- Place rice in a 5cm-deep, 22cm x 26cm (base) baking dish. Top with onion, tomato and peas. Pour over stock and 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Top with chicken.
- Bake, uncovered, for 30 to 35 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and rice tender. Serve with steamed beans.
- We suggest using less rice and chuck in some broccoli with the beans.

Ratatouille 

This is a great warm, healthy meal for winter, make up a massive pot, freeze portions, then microwave whenever you need a quick dinner or lunch!
Preparation Time –25 minutes Cooking Time—70 minutes

 Ingredients (serves 8 )

  • 250ml (1 cup) vegetable stock  sunshine coast personal training
  • 2 red onions, chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3 medium red capsicums, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 2 medium green capsicums, deseeded, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 3 x 400g cans Italian whole peeled tomatoes (La Gina brand)
  • 70g (1/4 cup) tomato paste
  • 2 tsp caster sugar
  • 4 zucchini, quartered, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 1 cup roughly chopped fresh basil leaves
  • Salt & freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 medium eggplants, cut into 3cm pieces

 Method

  1.  Bring the stock to the boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium, add onions and garlic, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the onions soften slightly.
  2. Add capsicums and eggplant, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.
  3. Stir in zucchini. Cook, covered, for 20 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Remove from heat. Stir in basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

To freeze (for up to 3 months): Place in a heatproof bowl and set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes or until almost cold. Place portions or whole quantity in shallow airtight containers or freezer bags (expel air), label, date and freeze.
To thaw: Place the frozen ratatouille in the fridge for 10 hours (single portion) or 24 hours (whole quantity), or until thawed.
To reheat: Heat thawed ratatouille in a saucepan over medium heat, covered, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until it comes to the boil.
Microwave defrosting & reheating:
For 1 frozen portion: transfer to a microwave-safe dish, if necessary. Defrost, uncovered, on Medium-Low/Defrost/350watts/30% for 4-6 minutes or until defrosted but still a bit icy in the centre. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and set aside for 10 minutes to thaw fully. Reheat, covered, on Medium/500watts/50%, stirring every 2 minutes, for 6-8 minutes or until heated through.
For the whole frozen quantity: transfer to a microwave-safe dish, if necessary. Defrost, uncovered, on Medium-Low/Defrost/350watts/30% for 15 minutes or until defrosted but a bit icy in centre. Cover with lid or plastic wrap and stand for 15 minutes to thaw fully. Reheat, covered, on Medium/500watts/50%, stirring every 3 minutes, for 12 minutes or until heated through.

Nutritional Information is per serve

Protein – 6.00g                 Dietary Fibre – 7.00g                      Energy – 420Kj
Fat total – 1.00g               Carbohydrate Total – 16.00g     

 

Garlic and rosemary chicken

 sunshine coast personal training recipesIngredients (serves 4 )

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary leaves
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 4 skin free chicken Breast fillets, Diced
  • 6 (1kg) carrots, roughly chopped
  • 1/4 cup burghul (cracked wheat)
  • 1/2 cup boiling water
  • 2 oranges, segmented (see note)
  • 310g can chickpeas, drained, rinsed
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Method

  1. Combine half the oil, 1/4 cup vinegar, rosemary and garlic in a bowl. Add chicken. Turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or overnight, if time permits. Preheat oven to 200°C/180°C fan-forced. Line a baking dish with baking paper.
  2. Place carrot, in a single layer, in prepared dish. Season with pepper. Roast, turning occasionally, for 30 to 40 minutes or until lightly browned and tender.
  3. Meanwhile, combine burghul and boiling water in a heatproof bowl. Cover. Stand for 15 minutes. Drain. Return burghul to bowl. Add carrot, chickpeas, parsley, remaining oil and vinegar. Toss to combine.
  4. Heat a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken, in batches, for 4 to 5 minutes each side or until browned and cooked through. Serve with burghul mixture.

Notes

  • To segment oranges, remove peel and white pith. Cut down either side of membrane to release segments.

Nutritional information
This information is per serve.

Protein – 39.7g                 Dietary Fibre – 13.5g                      Energy – 2126Kj
Fat total – 21.9g               Carbohydrate Total – 30.90g      Sodium - 393mg
Fat Saturated – 5.2g       Cholesterol – 152mg

 

Moroccan pan-fried fish

Preparation Timesunshine coast personal training recipes
10 – 15 minutes
Cooking Time
10 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 1 bunch coriander, washed, dried, ends trimmed
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled
  • 2 tsp ground cumin
  • Pinch of chilli powder
  • 2 tsp finely grated lemon rind
  • 60ml (1/4 cup) fresh lemon juice
  • 80ml (1/3 cup) olive oil
  • 2 tsp sweet paprika
  • 190g (1 cup) couscous
  • 250ml (1 cup) boiling water
  • 50g (1/3 cup) plain flour
  • 4 (about 700g) firm white fish fillets (such as snapper)
  • Olive oil spray
  • 90g baby spinach leaves

Method

  1. Place the coriander, garlic, cumin, chilli, lemon rind, lemon juice, oil and half the paprika in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth.
  2. Place couscous in a heatproof bowl. Pour over the boiling water and set aside for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Use a fork to separate grains.
  3. Meanwhile, combine the flour and remaining paprika on a plate. Season with salt and pepper. Add the fish and turn to coat. Shake off excess. Spray a large non-stick frying pan with olive oil spray and place over medium heat. Add the fish and cook for 3-4 minutes each side or until golden brown.
  4. Place the spinach on a serving platter. Top with the fish and drizzle over the coriander mixture. Serve with couscous.

Nutritional information
This information is per serve.

Protein – 49.00g                Dietary Fibre – 03.00g                     Energy – 1840Kj
Fat total – 22.00g              Carbohydrate Total – 12.00g      Sodium - 
Fat Saturated – 3.00g      Cholesterol -

 

Cajun Chicken

Spice up your Tuesday night with this healthy, low-carb Cajun chicken dish.

Ingredients (serves 4)

  • 4 small (180g each) chicken breast fillets sunshine coast personal training recipes
  • 1 tbs sweet paprika
  • Pinch of cayenne pepper
  • 1 avocado, flesh cubed
  • 2 tbs lime juice
  • 1 long green chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced lengthways
  • 2 tbs freshly snipped chives
  • Olive oil spray
  • 250g steamed green beans

Method

  1. Cut each breast into 3 thin escalopes, then toss in the combined paprika and cayenne to lightly coat. Set aside. Place avocado, lime, chilli and chives in a bowl. Season and stir gently to combine. Set aside.
  2. Heat a large frypan over high heat and spray with oil. Cook chicken, in 2 batches, for 2 minutes each side until cooked. Stand for 3 minutes, then halve each piece on an angle. Serve chicken on beans and salsa, and drizzle with any resting juices.

Nutritional information
This information is per serve.

Protein – 41.2g                 Dietary Fibre – 02.7g                      Energy – 1687Kj
Fat total – 24.8g               Carbohydrate Total – 2.00g      Sodium - 109mg
Fat Saturated – 6.1g       Cholesterol – 118.0mg

 

Source

Super Food Ideas – July 2008

Sticking To Your Sunshine Coast Fitness Program – Even When The Weather Gets Cold!

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Early mornings are not so fun in winter when its cold and dark outside, it becomes quite temping to just stay in bed where it’s warm and cosy! Even a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer can find it difficult to get out of bed and slog it out in the cold – which happened to me just this morning.
My alarm went off at 6 am (which is a late start compared to the 4.30 am wake ups I have in order to start training clients at 5.30am) it was dark and cold at 10 degrees outside and all of a sudden that sneaky, whingey little voice inside my head said “Aww, but I dont wanna go for a run! It’s cold and dark – I cant be stuffed!”  So I hit the snooze button and rolled over.

I lay there thinking about how much I loved bed, so cosy and comfy, and how nice would it be to stay there all morning, get up at 7.30 and just skip training altogether.
Almost immediately images from the night before popped into my head, I had been to a BodyBuilding contest and seen lots of lean, buffed bods in bikinis and high heels strutting around on stage. It was then that the Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer in me piped up and said “Unfortunately for you being warm and cosy in bed isnt going to get you to your health, figure and fitness goals! Get up!”
(See! Even us trainers are vicitims of our own trainer-to-client encouragement!)

And so reluctantly I got up, reached for some training clothes, devised a way to get dressed that would expose the least amount of bare skin to the cold air outside the bed covers (ie: getting dressed under the covers!!) This took a while, considering I was getting dressed in bed and when it’s cold outside, I usually layer up my workout gear so I’m warm until my heart rate is up, then I can start taking off the layers as I get warmer. Finally I was ready and went for my run.

Forty-five minutes later I was pumped, on an endorphin high and feeling great and I thought about how my day would have started if I hadnt gotten up and trained; it seemed like a sluggish and lethargic way to start the day and I was glad that I hadnt stayed in bed.

Even some of our clients have encountered and overcome this same early morning, inner-monologue debate. One such client bounds up to me in the mornings at 5.30am in the dark, and cheerily says “good morning!” while i’m still mentally waking up! (Even though my body is up and awake – my brain is often half and hour behind my body!) It takes a bit of mental toughness to get up and get going when the rest of the population stays inside in their beds where its warm.

I’d like to know about the times you’ve had to talk yourself out of bed to get to training or the tips and tricks you’ve come up with to make sure you get out there and get working towards your goals. One of our Sunshine Coast Personal Trainers – Sammy, her trick is to set 3 different alarms, while our office administrator Tiani asks her boyfriend to help her out of bed – this ‘help’ he interprets as pulling the covers off her, refusing to give them back then literally kicking her out of bed!   Harsh, but effective none-the-less!

If you’re having a little more trouble than getting out of a warm bed when trying to stay motivated on your fitness journey make sure you check out our article on “refocusing on fitness.”

So lets hear it then! Post your comment below!

Yours In Health & Fitness

Sascha Aiono
Sculptlife Personal Trainer

Eating Yourself Slim – Tips From A Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer

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As a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer I know how hard it is to wade through the ocean of misinformation out there. But the secret to permanent and effect weight loss is to eat yourself slim! That’s right – awesome isn’t it ! I come from a family of Samoans – we’re big eaters, and in the traditional Samoan culture the fatter you are, the more you show your wealth. So as you can see, “dieting” is going against hundreds of years of ancestry for us ! But , I’m very pleased to tell you that my cousin Keri has recently lost 18 kilos after spending a day with me working on her eating habits ( and of course training with my talented cousin Josh’s bootcamp in Sydney )

She was absolutely over the moon that we had to schedule her meals in every three hours – with alarms so that she wouldn’t forget. But she was totally blown away with how much she could actually lose weight, just by choosing the right amounts of food to eat – and when to eat them.  

To permanently lose the fat stores in your body, you’ve got to burn more calories and increase your metabolic rate ( the rate at which your body burns fuel throughout the day – even when you’re NOT exercising) with a precise exercise routine and proper nutrient ratio adaptations ( that means eating the right stuff at regular intervals ) . Even if you don’t exercises ( but I recommend you do ), just eating 5 – 6 small high quality meals  each day ( and by a meal, I mean anything from a nutritious snack to a sit down dinner ) will substantially increase your metabolism and you’ll burn more calories.

On the plane on my way down to visit Josh and Keri I took a photo of the food that they were serving  to the girl who sat next to me. Everything looks nutritious and healthy, and you’d be forgiven if you thought that meant you would be able to lose weight. But as  you can imagine, everything that they served was highly processed, packaged material, that had a lot of carbohydrates ( used to provide energy for ) and next to no protein ( used for growth and recovery of lean muscle tissue ). Accompany that with the next 3 – 5 hours of sitting on your bum waiting around, you’ve got the perfect conveyor belt for everything that you consume to go straight to fat stores. There is a lot of occupational hazards when going travelling as a Figure Competitor and a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer  – especially when those Krispy Kreme donuts seem like they are actually sending you ESP messages to go pay them a visit ! he he ;)

On my return, I was very proud to open the door to our Sunshine Coast Personal Training studio fridge and see how we are all practising what we preach ! There are tupperware containers upon tupperware containers, filled with lean beef stirfry with rice noodles, morrocan chicken and basmati rice ( my snack and lunch ) a lean beef burger and salad on a whole grain roll ( Tiani ) salmon, salad and low fat fetta on a mountain bread wrap ( Sammy ) and steak and rice and steam fresh vegetables ( Sash ). Now, just as long as we make sure we clean it all out ( if not we always have Tiani ;) just kidding ) we should really be seeing some changes in both our figures and performance over the coming weeks. Recently I lost 2 % body fat after 3 weeks of tightening up my diet like this, and of course still enjoying my treats on a weekend ( you may not be able to see my diet chocolate mousse in there – but it’s in there !)

Plenty of regular meals here !

If you need more help with your eating, we’re here to help you , with our latest body composition analysis testing and our Diet Master Pro system so that we can customise a nutritionist approved eating plan, complete with exactly WHAT to eat and WHEN in order to achieve RAPID FAT LOSS!  And bonus for all you time poor guys out there – it even comes with a complete shopping list !

Remember, your nutrition is your foundation to your health and fitness, without it , no matter how hard you exercise you won’t get your ideal healthy body.  If you would like a free nutritional consultation valued at $80 to find out how we can help you with your nutrition just email us on info@sculptlife.com.au or phone 5493 8269.

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer Calls for Industry Reform on National Television

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 How Healthy Is The Fitness Industry?
Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer Calls for Industry Reform on National Television 

“The fitness industry in  Australia is booming with boot camps and personal trainers filling our parks and  beaches. It is now estimated to be worth over 800 million dollars per year but how qualified are the people who are pushing us to our limits and potentially causing us serious injury?  The minimum qualification for a personal trainer can be attained in eight weeks and many veteran trainers and allied health professions feel it is nowhere near long enough. Should we be looking to personal trainers to help us move the extra kilos? Or are they simply ripping us off and endangering our health?” [1]

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer,  Bianca Aiono of SculptLife was featured this week  on SBS Insight’s program to discuss industry reform.  Bianca says “ They invited me down to help shed light on the problem at hand, but they were more interested in one bad experience I had with a Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer I had years ago. It’s easy to try to make a name for yourself by criticising something that is essentially very positive and I definitely didn’t make a trip all the way to Sydney just for that!”

Bianca believes the problematic issues lie in the “Fly By Night” nature of the Personal Training Industry, a lack of communication between client and trainer, and the “No Pain No Gain” mentality typical of “The Biggest Loser”. Being a PT and “getting paid to have fun” is an enviable lifestyle, and Training Providers know many people hate their job. But in eight weeks time, a taxi driver can become a  SunShine Coast Personal Trainer and for the unsuspecting consumer, this can spell disaster.

Sunshine Coast Personal Trainer, Bianca, says though it’s not the length of education that is to blame, a willingness to learn and life experience can make a world class trainer. Conversely, trainers with a 4 year degrees have been turned away by employers for not having the “people skills” necessary to give good service to their members. A lack of experienced trainers is compounded by the fact that a PT’s expected career life is just 18 months, as quoted by Fitness First’s Personal Training manager, Dominic dos Remidios.  Bianca believes this is due to new graduates often having unrealistic expectations as to how hard you need to make it work before getting the big bucks and not being equipped with the skills to run their own business. 

“ There are cold early mornings, late nights, unreliable pay and high rental commitments from the money grabbing corporate giants such as Fitness First.” Bianca says  “Safe effective and permanent  weight loss does not require a trainer screaming orders, injuries are just waiting to happen.”

 At SculptLife Personal Training on the Sunshine Coast we offer potential clients a free fitness consultation on our website www.sculptlife.com.au  valued at $80 to assess exactly what they want to achieve, a 100% Satisfaction Guarantee and plenty of client testimonials. Don’t sign up without a complimentary consultation, know your limits and if you have a special condition, make sure you hire a trainer who can cater to your needs.  Group Training can be very rewarding and positive, but remember in a group environment a trainer cannot give you their undivided attention. Bianca believes that over regulation is not the solution, rather a commitment going forward to mentor new graduates with experienced PT’s and to provide avenues for Trainers to be recognised for their experience on a national level.

 SBS Can Be viewed at http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/212#watchonline

[1] Quote : SBS Insight Website http://news.sbs.com.au/insight/episode/index/id/212

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